HubSpot Automation: Are You REALLY Using It Right?

The role of marketing leaders is constantly evolving, and so are the tools they use. The modern marketing landscape demands agility and data-driven decision-making. One of the most significant shifts I’ve seen is the increasing reliance on sophisticated automation platforms. But are you truly maximizing your marketing automation capabilities to drive tangible results?

Step 1: Accessing the Campaign Automation Builder

First, you’ll need to log into your HubSpot account. Once you’re in, navigate to the “Automation” dropdown in the main navigation bar. From there, select “Campaign Automation Builder.” This will bring you to the main interface where you can create and manage your automated campaigns.

Creating a New Campaign

1. Click the “Create Campaign” button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
2. A modal window will appear, prompting you to name your campaign. For this example, let’s call it “Lead Nurturing – Content Marketing Download.”
3. Choose a campaign type. Select “Standard Automation” for this lead nurturing sequence. Other options include “Date-Based Automation” for event-driven campaigns and “Behavioral Automation” for more advanced, trigger-based actions.
4. Click “Create.”

Pro Tip: Develop a clear naming convention for your campaigns. This will make it easier to find and manage them later. We use a system at my firm: [Campaign Type] – [Target Audience] – [Offer].

Expected Outcome: A blank canvas for your new campaign automation will appear, ready for you to define your triggers and actions. You’ll see a visual workflow builder.

Step 2: Defining Your Enrollment Triggers

Next, you need to define what action will trigger a contact to enter your lead nurturing sequence. In this case, we want to trigger the automation when someone downloads a content marketing guide from your website.

Setting Up a Form Submission Trigger

1. Click the “Set enrollment triggers” button in the left panel.
2. In the right panel, select “Form submission” as the trigger type.
3. From the “Choose a form” dropdown, select the specific form that users fill out to download the content marketing guide. Let’s say it’s called “Content Marketing Guide Download Form.”
4. Specify any additional criteria. For example, you might want to only enroll contacts who have not already received this lead nurturing sequence. To do this, add a filter based on a custom property like “Content Marketing Guide Downloaded” and set it to “is unknown.”
5. Click “Save Trigger.”

Common Mistake: Forgetting to set up a re-enrollment setting. By default, HubSpot will only enroll a contact once. If you want contacts to be able to re-download the guide and re-enter the sequence, you’ll need to adjust the re-enrollment settings. I had a client last year who missed this step, and their lead nurturing stalled out after a few weeks.

Expected Outcome: The “Form submission” trigger will be added to your campaign canvas. You’ll see a visual representation of the trigger connected to the start of your automation workflow.

Step 3: Segmenting Your Audience

Not all leads are created equal. To personalize your lead nurturing, segment your audience based on relevant criteria. In this example, we’ll segment based on job title.

Adding a Branching Logic

1. Click the “+” icon below the “Form submission” trigger.
2. Select “Branching logic.”
3. Choose “Property-based” branching.
4. Select the “Job Title” property.
5. Define your branches. For example:
   • Branch 1: Job Title contains “Marketing Manager”
   • Branch 2: Job Title contains “Marketing Director”
   • Branch 3: Job Title contains “Content Strategist”
   • Branch 4: All other contacts
6. Click “Save.”

Pro Tip: Don’t over-segment your audience. Too many branches can make your automation overly complex and difficult to manage. Focus on the most relevant criteria for personalization.

Expected Outcome: Your automation workflow will now have multiple branches based on job title. Each branch will allow you to tailor the subsequent emails to the specific needs and interests of that segment.

Step 4: Crafting Personalized Email Content

Now, let’s create the email content for each branch of your automation. The key here is to provide value and address the specific pain points of each job title.

Creating and Adding Email Actions

1. For each branch, click the “+” icon below the branch.
2. Select “Send email.”
3. Choose an existing email or create a new one by clicking “Create new email.”
4. If creating a new email:
   • Give your email a clear internal name (e.g., “Marketing Manager – Email 1 – Content Strategy Tips”).
   • Choose a template or start from scratch.
   • Craft your email content. Use personalization tokens (e.g., `{{contact.firstname}}`) to address contacts by name.
   • Tailor the content to the specific job title. For example, for Marketing Managers, you might focus on how the content marketing guide can help them improve their team’s efficiency. For Marketing Directors, you might focus on how it can help them drive revenue growth.
   • Add a clear call to action. What do you want the recipient to do after reading the email?
5. Click “Save.”

Editorial Aside: Here’s what nobody tells you: personalization isn’t just about using someone’s name. It’s about understanding their needs and providing them with relevant, valuable information. Generic emails are a waste of everyone’s time.

Expected Outcome: Each branch of your automation will now have a “Send email” action with personalized content. Repeat this process for each subsequent email in your lead nurturing sequence.

Step 5: Implementing A/B Testing

To optimize your email performance, A/B test your subject lines and content. This allows you to identify what resonates best with your audience.

Setting Up an A/B Test

1. On any “Send email” action, click the “A/B test” button in the upper right-hand corner of the email editor.
2. You’ll be prompted to create a variation of your email. You can either change the subject line, the content, or both.
3. Define the testing parameters. For example, you can choose to send the A/B test to a percentage of your audience (e.g., 20%) and automatically select the winner based on open rate or click-through rate after a certain period (e.g., 24 hours).
4. Click “Start A/B test.”

Common Mistake: Testing too many variables at once. If you change both the subject line and the content, it’s difficult to determine which change is responsible for the improvement. Focus on testing one variable at a time.

Expected Outcome: HubSpot will automatically split your audience and send each variation of your email to a subset of your contacts. After the testing period, HubSpot will automatically select the winning variation and send it to the remaining contacts.

Step 6: Adding Delays and Further Actions

To create a more sophisticated lead nurturing sequence, add delays and further actions between your emails. This could include sending follow-up emails, updating contact properties, or triggering other automation workflows.

Adding Delays

1. Click the “+” icon between any two actions.
2. Select “Delay.”
3. Specify the delay duration in days, hours, or minutes. For example, you might want to wait 3 days before sending the second email in your sequence.
4. Click “Save.”

Adding Other Actions

1. Click the “+” icon between any two actions.
2. Explore the other available actions, such as:
   • “Update contact property”: Use this to update a contact’s information based on their behavior in the automation.
   • “Trigger webhook”: Use this to send data to a third-party application.
   • “Enroll in another workflow”: Use this to trigger a different automation workflow.
3. Configure the action as needed.
4. Click “Save.”

Pro Tip: Use delays strategically to avoid overwhelming your leads with too many emails in a short period. Consider the typical sales cycle for your product or service when determining the appropriate delay duration.

Case Study: We implemented a similar lead nurturing campaign for a local software company, “TechSolutions Group,” near Perimeter Mall. Before automation, their lead conversion rate was around 2%. After implementing a personalized lead nurturing sequence using HubSpot’s Campaign Automation Builder, their lead conversion rate increased to 7% within three months. They segmented their audience based on industry and tailored their email content to address the specific challenges faced by each industry. The results spoke for themselves.

Expected Outcome: Your automation workflow will now include delays and other actions, creating a more comprehensive and personalized lead nurturing experience.

Step 7: Reviewing and Activating Your Campaign

Before activating your campaign, carefully review all the settings and content to ensure everything is correct.

Reviewing Your Campaign

1. Click the “Review” button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
2. HubSpot will highlight any potential issues, such as missing email content or incorrect trigger settings.
3. Address any issues that are identified.

Activating Your Campaign

1. Once you’re confident that everything is correct, click the “Activate” button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
2. Your campaign will now be live, and contacts will be automatically enrolled based on the triggers you defined.

Expected Outcome: Your lead nurturing campaign is now active and running. Contacts will be automatically enrolled and nurtured based on your defined triggers and actions.

Step 8: Monitoring and Optimizing Your Campaign

The work doesn’t end once your campaign is activated. Continuously monitor its performance and make adjustments as needed. This is where marketing leaders shine.

Tracking Key Metrics

1. Navigate to the “Campaign Automation Builder” and select your campaign.
2. Review the key metrics, such as:
   • Enrollment rate
   • Open rate
   • Click-through rate
   • Conversion rate
   • Unsubscribe rate
3. Identify any areas for improvement. For example, if your open rate is low, consider A/B testing your subject lines. If your click-through rate is low, consider revising your email content or call to action.

Expected Outcome: You’ll gain valuable insights into the performance of your lead nurturing campaign, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your results over time.

Mastering marketing automation is no longer optional; it’s essential for success. By following these steps and continuously optimizing your campaigns, you can transform your lead nurturing efforts and drive significant growth for your business. The marketing field is moving rapidly, but a solid grasp of the fundamentals will serve you well.

For more insights on better marketing forecasts and ROI, explore our other articles. And remember, it’s important to boost marketing ROI wherever possible.

Don’t wait; start building your automated campaign today. The power to transform your lead nurturing strategy is literally at your fingertips. Take that first step and watch your results soar.